1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle arm mounting structure for a fishing reel having a handle arm configured to be mounted with a screw-threaded member to a handle shaft having a non-circular section formed at one end.
2. Background Information
There are fishing reels, e.g., spinning reels and dual-bearing reels, in which a handle arm is fastened to a handle shaft with a screw-threaded member, such as a nut or a bolt. In a conventional handle arm mounting structure (e.g., the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-236571), a tip end portion of the handle shaft is machined to form a non-circular section having a cross-sectional shape including parallel line segments joined at both ends by circular arcs, and a non-circular hole configured to engage with the non-circular section of the handle shaft is formed in the handle arm. The handle arm is fastened to the handle shaft with a screw-threaded member.
In the conventional handle arm mounting structure mentioned above, the non-circular section of the handle shaft can be formed with good precision using a machining method, but it is difficult to machine the non-circular hole in a highly precise manner while avoiding a high manufacturing cost. Consequently, a gap tends to exist between the non-circular hole of the handle arm and the non-circular section of the handle shaft. Looseness (mechanical slop) of the handle arm caused by such a gap is particularly common in spinning reels, which have a more slender handle shaft than dual-bearing reels.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved handle arm mounting structure for a fishing reel. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.